Gas-engine governor-valve.



No. 656,408. Patented Aug. 2|, I900. .1. w. LAMBERT. GAS ENGINE GovaanoxVALVE.

(Application filed May 2, 1899.)

2 Sheets8heet '1.

(No Model.)

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No. 656,408. Patented Aug. 2|, I900. J. W. LAMBERT. GAS ENGINE GOVERNORVALVE.

(Application filed May 2, 1899.)

2 Sheets$hoet 2.

. (No Model.)

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NITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. LAMBERT, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE BUCKEYEMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

GAS-ENGINE GOVERNOR-VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.656,408, dated August21, 1900. Application filed May 2, 1899. Serial No. 715,819. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it mat concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN W. LAMBERT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Anderson, county of Madison, State of Indiana, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Gras-Engine Governor-Valves, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had therein tothe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of thevalvecasing. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional View thereof. Fig. 3is a plan view, one end being removed. Fig. 4. is a horizontal sectionalview taken on line 4 1 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic viewshowing the device connected to a gas-engine and governor.

One object of the invention is to provide means for automatically andsimultaneously controlling the admission of air and gas to themixing-chamber in such a manner that the proportions of air to gasadmitted will remain the same,while the volume willbe varied accordingtothe speed of the engine.

Another object of the invention is to secure the thorough mixing of theair and gas before said mixture is permitted to enter the cylinder ofthe engine. U

Referring to the various parts by numerals, 1 designates theouter casingofthe valve, which is shown as cylindrical, but which may be of anydesired form. Supported centrally within this casing is themixing-chamber2. Opening into the airspace 3 formed between the walls ofthe valve-casing and the mixing chamber is an air-inlet 4:, said inletbeing the only opening through the casing 1 into said airspace. Themixing-chamber is so supported within the valve-casing that theair-space extends practically entirely around it and above and below it.Entering through the center of the bottom of the valve-casing is agas-inlet 5, which connects with a gas-duct 6, which is formed by thewalls of the valve-casing and of the mixingchamber, and the partitions7, which bridge the space between said walls. This gasduct extends upthe side of the mixing-chamber and opens into a central gaschamber 8 atthe top of and within the mixing-chamber, said chamber being formed witha vertical central tubular passage 9. The

upper and lower heads or walls of the mixing chamber are each providedwith a series of perforations 10-, which put the air-space 3 and themixing-chamber into communication with each other at each end of thechamber. The upper wall of the gas-chamber 8 is provided with a seriesof perforations 11, which permit gas to flow out from the gas-chamber 8,and the lower wall of said mixing-chamber is provided with a centralopening 12, which permits gas to fiowinto the mixing-chamber fromthegas-duct 6. Passing centrally through the upper closed head of thevalve-casing and through the passage 9 of the gas-chamber is a verticalnon-rotatable valve-stem 13. Carried by this stem within the casing aretwo horizontal valve-disks 1 1 and 15, the upper one, 14, being adaptedto fit down closely on the upper side of the topof the mixing-chamher,and the lower one, 15, being within the mixing-chamber and adapted tofit closely down upon the lower wall of the said chamber. Thesevalve-disks are of the same diameter as the adjacent top and bottomwalls of the mixing-chamber,and are adapted,when closed down on saidwalls, to close all the openings therein. Formed in each of these disksis a series of openings 10, which correspond with the openings 10, butare out of line therewith, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the openings 10 being shown in dotted lines in these figures. The upper disk 14 is formedwith a series of openings 11, which correspond with the openings 11,said two series of openings being also out of line with each other, andthe lower disk is provided with a series of openings 12 adjacent to theopenings 12. The lower disk 15 fits within and is guided in itsreciprocation by the walls of the mixing-chamber',while the upper diskfits closely within and is guided by an annular vertical flange 17,formed around the top of the mixing-chamber.

The valve-stem 13 is connected to a governor 19, of any suitableconstruction, and is reciprocated thereby. When the engine is at rest,the stem 13 is raised by thelgovernor and the valve-disks assume thepositions shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, leaving a space between thetop and bottom walls of the mixing-chamber and said disks and permittingfree communication between the airspace, gas-duct, and themixing-chamber.

From the mixing-chamber,midway its ends, there are suitable outlets 18to the enginecylinders. The valve shown in the drawings is provided withtwo openings and is designed for a two-cylinder engine. If it weredesigned for a single-cylinderengine, only one outlet 18 would beemployed.

The passage of gasrto the engine-cylinders is controlled in the usualway by means of a valve located between the source of supply and themixer. When the engine is started, air flows to the space formed betweenthe disk 14 and the adjoining head of the mixing-chamber through themany small openings in the said disk, and gas flows to said space fromchamber 8 through openings 11, while air flows into the space formedbetween the disk 15 and the lower head of the mixingchamber through theopenings 10in said head and gas flows to said space through opening 12.The gas and air commingle in these spaces and will then flow into themixingchamber. From the upper space the flow will be down through theopenings in the head of the mixing-chamber, while from the lower spaceit will be up through the perforations in the disk 15. The air and gasare forced to take a circuitous passage and to pass through many smallopenings, and enter the chamber in many small commingling streams. Bydividing the air and gas and introducing a portion of each through eachhead of the mixing-chamber in many small commingling jets or streams athorough mixing of the air and gas is secured. The flange 17 forms theside Wall of the air-space between the disk 14 and the top of themixing-chamber and practically prevents air entering such space exceptit pass through the perforations in the disk 14.

When the speed of the engine increases beyond the predetermined pointconsidered safe or desirable, the governor will depress the valve stem13 and bring the valve -disks nearer the heads of the mixing-chamber,and thereby restrict the free passage of the air and gas and cause theengine to slow down. While this action will decrease the volume of airand gas passing to the mixing-chamber, the proportion of air to gas willalways remain the same. Should the engine run at an excessive speed, thegovernor will force the valve-disks down upon the heads of themixing-chamber and entirely cutoff the passage of air and gas to themixing-chamber.

If desired, only one end of the mixingchamber need be perforated andonly one valve-disk need be employed.

The advantage of controlling the volume of air and gas flowing to themixing-chamber by means of the reciprocating disks 14 and 15 is thatthey provide spaces of variable area in which the air and gas may bepartially mixed before passing into the mixing-chamber. Another greatadvantage of this structu re is that the desired proportion of air togas may be readily secured and surely maintained during the operation oftheengine. The airand Ways be equal at any one time.

gas ports may vary in size and number, may be of various shapes, and maybe placed in any desired position; in fact may be arranged in any way tosecure the desired proportion of air to gas and the proper distributionthereof around the heads of the mixing-chamber, and yet as the valve isreciprocated by the governor-the proportion of air to gas will alwaysremain the same. This is so because the cross-sectional area of the jetswill always remain the same and the pressure through all the ports intothe mixing-chamber will al- This pressure will change with thereciprocation of the valve, it being greatest when the valve is in itsnormal position and growing less as the valve-disks are brought nearerto the heads of the mixing-chamber.

I claim- 1. In a gas-engine governor-valve, the combination of amixing-chamber formed with perforated heads, means for admitting air andgas into the mixing-chamber through each of said perforated heads,perforated valves adapted to fit close against the heads of themixing-chamber, the perforations in the valves being out of line withthe perforations in the heads, a valve-stem carrying the valves, and ameans connected to the valvestem for moving said valves perpendicularlyto the plane of thevalve-seats to vary the capacity of the valve.

' 2. In a gas-engine governor-valve, the combination of a casing,amixing-chamber therein formed with perforated heads, means foradmitting air and gas into the mixing-chamher through each of saidperforated heads, perforated valves adapted to fit close against theheads of the mixing-chamber but normally held away from said heads, theperforations of said valves being out of line with the perforations ofthe heads, a valve-stem carrying the valve-disks, and a governorconnected to the valve-stem and adapted to reciprocate it.

3. In a gas-engine governor-valve, the combination of a mixing-chamberformed witha perforated head, a perforated valve adapted to fit closeagainst the perforated head of the mixing-chamber, the perforations insaid valve being out of line with the perforations in the head, meansfor reciprocating said valve, and a continuous wall around the edge ofsaid valve to form a tubular part in which said valve reciprocates, saidwall preventing the free passage of fluid around the edge of said valve.

4. In a gas-engine governor-valve, the combination of a mixing-chamberformed with a perforated head, a perforated valve adapted to fit closeagainst the perforated head of the mixin g-chamber, the perforations inthe valve being out of line with the perforations in the head, means forreciprocating said valve and means for preventing the free passage offluid aroundthe edge of the valve when said valve is raised from theperforated head of the mix ing-chamber.

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5. In a gas-engine governor-valve, the combination of a casing having anair-inlet, a mixing-chamber in said casing, said chamber being formedwith the air and gas ports in each of its ends, a perforated valve neareach of the ends of the chamber, the perforations in said valves beingout of line with the perforations in the ends of the mixing-chamber, agovernor connected to said valves and adapted to normally hold them awayfrom the ends of the mixing-chamber, agas-admission port 5 at one end ofthe casing, a gaschamber 8 within the mixing-chamber, and a gas-passage6 connecting the gas-inlet 5witl1 the chamber 8. p

6. In a gas-engine governor-valve, the combination of a casing formedwith an air-inlet, a mixingchamber within the casing and formed with airand gas ports in each of its ends, means for conveying gas to saidgasports, a vertical annular flange extending up ward from the top ofthe mixing-chamber, a perforated valve on top of the chamber and closelyfitting within the flange, a perforated valve within the mixing-chamber,a valvestem connecting said valves together, a speedgovernor connectedto said stem and adapted to reciprocate it and normally holding thevalves away from the chamber ends.

7. In a gas-engine governor-valve, the combination of a casing having anair-inlet, a mixing-chamber 3 therein, said chamber being formed with ythe flange 17 and with the air and gas admission ports in each of itsends, a perforated valve within the chamber near the lower end andnormally held away from said end, a perforated valve surrounded byflange 17 and normally held away from the top of the casing, agas-chamber 8 within the mixing-chamber at its upper end and formed withan opening communicating with the space between the'upper valve and theupper end of the chamber, a gas connection to the chamber 8 and to thespace between the lower perforated valve and bottom of themixing-chamber,a stem connecting the valves together, and a governordevice connected to the valve-stem.

8. In a gas-engine governor-valve, the combination of a mixing-chamberhaving a plural= ity of perforations formed in its head through whichthe explosive mixture passes, a valve formed with a plurality ofopenings, the per forations in the valve being out of line with those inthe mixing-chamber head whereby when the two parts are brought togetherthe valve will be closed, a governor connected to the valve and normallyholding it away from the perforated head to form a space between the twoperforated parts, said governor being adapted to reciprocate the valveand to move it against the perforated head of the mixing-chamber toclose the passages into said chamber, whereby fluid passing into themixing-chamber through the two perforated parts will be divided into aplurality of streams and will be diverted from a straight course in thespace between said perforated parts, and the governor will vary saidspace between said parts as the speed of the engine varies.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the presence oftwo witnesses, this 29th day of April, 1899.

JOHN W. LAMBERT.

Witnesses:

G. S. KING, G. H. LooKwooD.

